Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II is out indefinitely with a fractured left elbow, following a flagrant foul from Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks during Game 2 of the teams’ 2nd round playoff series.
Less than 3 minutes into the contest, Brooks was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul after hitting Payton in the head on a fast break layup.
With Game 3 not scheduled to take place until Saturday, the NBA is expected to take its time before announcing any possible subsequent discipline for Brooks.
The Warriors players and coaching staff didn’t hold back their thoughts on the play both during and after the game in their post game pressers.
In the moments following the the injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr could be overheard screaming “Get the f**k out of here, Brooks!” when it was announced he’d been ejected. After the first quarter of play, Warriors coach Steve Kerr told TNT “that wasn’t physical, that was dirty”.
In the end the Grizzlies, powered by Ja Morant’s 47 points, would emerge victorious 106-101 to even the series up at 1 game a piece. The Golden State vs. Memphis matchup now shifts to the Bay Area in what’s sure to be a hostile environment for Game 3 on the weekend for the visitors.
Losing not only the game, but also a key player had Kerr in a sour mood during his post game media availability. The 3x NBA Champion coach didn’t mince words when asked about his thoughts on the play that injured Payton. “I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty…There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season or career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow … He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”
Those sentiments were echoed by virtually every Warriors player following the game as well. Draymond Green told Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game “it was a bullsh*t foul” when asked about the incident.
The 4x All-Star had an eventful evening himself, as only 14 seconds after Payton was injured, Green had to go back to the locker room for stitches following an elbow to his right eye. On his way off the court, the Memphis faithful showered the outspoken forward with boos, resulting in Green flipping off the fans, a gesture likely to draw him a fine from the league.
When asked about the incident, Green alluded to the fact that he didn’t appreciate fans booing an injured player before adding “It felt really good to flip them off. … If they’re going to be that nasty, I’ll be nasty, too. I’m assuming the cheers were because they know I’ll be fined. Great, I make $25 million a year. I should be just fine.”
With Payton out of the lineup, Golden State is hoping that veteran defender Andre Iguodala will be ready to suit up for Game 3. Iguodala had missed the previous two games of the series with a left cervical disk injury.
While he may not be the same player that was named to two NBA All-Defensive teams, the 38 year old at least presents an option to try to slow down Morant who’s currently averaging 40.5 points per game in the series. And with a banged up Green, and an injured Gary Payton II, options are something the Warriors are suddenly running thin on at the moment.
Game 3 tips off at 8:30pm at the Chase Center on Saturday May 7th.